Coventry (A) - January 17th 12:30pm - Pre Match Thread

[fox_favourite]

2 hours ago, moore_94 said:

 

RvN said we were looking at possibilities all Jan...signed a flop right back. 

 

Doesn't bode well

[Sky Blues]

On 14/01/2026 at 10:26, Pliskin said:

Out of all the painful afternoons we’ve endured, from Swindon, to Watford to Cardiff, this will probably be one of the most painful afternoons in our history. 
 

Because it will truly be a signal of how far we’ve fallen…… 

I'm not so sure. In the game at your place you kept us at bay. If you had anyone who knew how to shoot you would have won. And we're just not getting any luck at all at the moment. We're hitting the woodwork more times than we're scoring goals. 

 

But our home record is solid.....

[Richmondfox]

1 minute ago, fox_favourite said:

RvN said we were looking at possibilities all Jan...signed a flop right back. 

 

Doesn't bode well

And I have zero confidence in Marti being able to set the team up to pass the ball to a new forward. Getting Ayew to stay near the box, not drop deep or to the left wing and fall over would be a huge improvement and like a new signing. 

[BrilliantFox]

3 minutes ago, Sky Blues said:

I'm not so sure. In the game at your place you kept us at bay. If you had anyone who knew how to shoot you would have won. And we're just not getting any luck at all at the moment. We're hitting the woodwork more times than we're scoring goals. 

 

But our home record is solid.....

We employ one of the worst managers in the league, you will be fine, enjoy the day and enjoy the win mate.

The more goals we concede, the better.

Our club is a shambles and needs new ownership.

Edited 15 January by BrilliantFox

[Sky Blues]

35 minutes ago, BrilliantFox said:

We employ one of the worst managers in the league, you will be fine, enjoy the day and enjoy the win mate.

The more goals we concede, the better.

Our club is a shambles and needs new ownership.

I don't disagree with what you say, but in the game at your place you were one of the best sides we have played so far this season. But hit a barn door? You couldn't even hit the building for the barn door. You still controlled most of the game. 

[BrilliantFox]

22 minutes ago, Sky Blues said:

you were one of the best sides we have played so far this season.

On paper we have a top side for this league's level, but as the table will tell you it has not transpired that way.

Lack of tactics, lack of fitness and lack of fight.

 

It tells you everything when as a fanbase we're not even bothered about our matches, we're bothered about the direction the club is going.

Coventry beating us will do us more good in the long run, rather than us winning and papering over the cracks.

 

Coventry, Forest, Spurs, three clubs our fans used to love bantering but we don't have it in us to do so today.

Edited 15 January by BrilliantFox

[whoareyaaa]

19 minutes ago, BrilliantFox said:

On paper we have a top side for this league's level, but as the table will tell you it has not transpired that way.

Lack of tactics, lack of fitness and lack of fight.

 

It tells you everything when as a fanbase we're not even bothered about our matches, we're bothered about the direction the club is going.

Coventry beating us will do us more good in the long run, rather than us winning and papering over the cracks.

 

Coventry, Forest, Spurs, three clubs our fans used to love bantering but we don't have it in us to do so today.

We have lost 6 or 7 or first team regulars now with Faes and have brought in James, along with losing Vardy and not even trying to replace him.

 

We really don't have a 'top side' at all.

[Pliskin]

1 hour ago, Sky Blues said:

I'm not so sure. In the game at your place you kept us at bay. If you had anyone who knew how to shoot you would have won. And we're just not getting any luck at all at the moment. We're hitting the woodwork more times than we're scoring goals. 

 

But our home record is solid.....

We have regressed massively since then.

 

We are mentally fragile, and we can’t stand up to proper aggression. If Frank has anything about him he will watch how easily Sheffield United turned us inside out with very little difficulty. 
 

The key to beating us quickly, is to just let us have the ball and relentlessly press the back four, none are comfortable on the ball bar Nelson or Ricardo, and Nelson can crumble under pressure and Ricardo is a shadow of the player he once was. 

 

Then focus all of your energy attacking Thomas, he’s ****ing dog shit, and I would probably do a better job at LB than him. 
 

Also, as good as James has been, he leaves Skipp by himself, so he just ends up having to try and protect the back four himself. 
 

The last few games have been nothing but red herrings for me, you’ll comfortably take us to pieces. 

 

 

Edited 15 January by Pliskin

[BrilliantFox]

13 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

We have lost 6 or 7 or first team regulars

Weaker in comparison to the ridiculous team of 23/24 with an £80m annual wage bill that never belonged in the EFL? Yes of course.

But not weak in comparison to the rest of the dross in the league.

 

The point is nothing to do with our previous team. It is to do with the low quality of the Championship.

[whoareyaaa]

Just now, BrilliantFox said:

Weaker in comparison to the ridiculous team of 23/24 with an £80m annual wage bill that never belonged in the EFL? Yes of course.

But not weak in comparison to the rest of the dross in the league.

 

The point is nothing to do with our previous team. It is to do with the low quality of the Championship.

We are bringing through youth and have lost 7 first team players other teams have been building we have been selling and the only player we have got is James while losing 7.

 

I don't know which players you are referring to that makes us a top side  ? 

[when_you're_smiling]

8 minutes ago, BrilliantFox said:

Weaker in comparison to the ridiculous team of 23/24 with an £80m annual wage bill that never belonged in the EFL? Yes of course.

But not weak in comparison to the rest of the dross in the league.

 

The point is nothing to do with our previous team. It is to do with the low quality of the Championship.

This kind of bollocks is the way the likes of Faes and Winks feel and it’s a major part of the problem with the club. 

[BrilliantFox]

@whoareyaaa

Fatawu, Jordan James, Mavididi, Monga, Nelson. There are more who are good at this level too. This isn't the Premier League we're talking about.

 

I don't think fans realise that there is talent, but the nature of the club is so broken and dysfunctional that good players are not performing at their levels due to poor management and poor leadership that includes the entire board and ownership.

 

You cannot flourish under the circumstances at LCFC. Players cannot improve here, nor can they be maximised.

In football you want to extract the most out of your players, but that simply isn't possible in this environment.

 

A rotten culture breeds rotten performances.

Edited 15 January by BrilliantFox

[filbertway]

1 hour ago, Sky Blues said:

I don't disagree with what you say, but in the game at your place you were one of the best sides we have played so far this season. But hit a barn door? You couldn't even hit the building for the barn door. You still controlled most of the game. 

I don't know why you seem to have a mental block against us, feels like you show us way too much respect whenever we play

 

[Danizen]

On 12/01/2026 at 15:48, Joe90 said:

Fair play to them I think it spices it up tbf 

And it's always funny to see 'inbreds' spelt with an A.

[Pliskin]

33 minutes ago, BrilliantFox said:

@whoareyaaa

Fatawu, Jordan James, Mavididi, Monga, Nelson. There are more who are good at this level too. This isn't the Premier League we're talking about.

 

I don't think fans realise that there is talent, but the nature of the club is so broken and dysfunctional that good players are not performing at their levels due to poor management and poor leadership that includes the entire board and ownership.

 

You cannot flourish under the circumstances at LCFC. Players cannot improve here, nor can they be maximised.

In football you want to extract the most out of your players, but that simply isn't possible in this environment.

 

A rotten culture breeds rotten performances.

 Your last comment. Absolutely spot on. 

[Vazman]

37 minutes ago, BrilliantFox said:

@whoareyaaa

Fatawu, Jordan James, Mavididi, Monga, Nelson. There are more who are good at this level too. This isn't the Premier League we're talking about.

 

I don't think fans realise that there is talent, but the nature of the club is so broken and dysfunctional that good players are not performing at their levels due to poor management and poor leadership that includes the entire board and ownership.

 

You cannot flourish under the circumstances at LCFC. Players cannot improve here, nor can they be maximised.

In football you want to extract the most out of your players, but that simply isn't possible in this environment.

 

A rotten culture breeds rotten performances.

Brilliant post by @BrilliantFox 

[Lad1966]

2 minutes ago, Vazman said:

Brilliant post by @BrilliantFox 

Couldn’t agree more. Hopefully with some of the bad eggs are out of contract at the end of season should help. Rudkin and Top, on the other hand is going to take some shifting. I live in hope the TD (if that ever happens) can divorce from them from the football side 

[Pliskin]

@BrilliantFox Os absolutely spot on with what he says. 
 

Success and a sinking ship seldom go hand in hand. 
 

Enzo squeezed the last bit of that out of the club…. Since then we simply have been able to generate the same atmosphere, because finally the years of mistakes and bad decisions have finally caught up on the field. 
 

When you’re deciding not to invest through choice because of your terrible decision making, then it’s only ever going to end one way.

 

Whatever her part in the decline, it cannot be denied that Susan Whelan was exceptional at her front facing customer relations work. She at least added some little value to the club, and that’s now gone. 
 

We’re now left with an absent owner, a DOF completely out of their depth, and a clueless manager. Each area isolated from the other…..

 

Steve cooper spoke of alignment, which I find incredibly hard to believe…… 

 

You can’t build a successful operation if the foundations are fractured……..

[Tommy Fresh]

1 hour ago, BrilliantFox said:

@whoareyaaa

Fatawu, Jordan James, Mavididi, Monga, Nelson. There are more who are good at this level too. This isn't the Premier League we're talking about.

 

I don't think fans realise that there is talent, but the nature of the club is so broken and dysfunctional that good players are not performing at their levels due to poor management and poor leadership that includes the entire board and ownership.

 

You cannot flourish under the circumstances at LCFC. Players cannot improve here, nor can they be maximised.

In football you want to extract the most out of your players, but that simply isn't possible in this environment.

 

A rotten culture breeds rotten performances.

He's just making excuses for Cifuentes being shit

[Lambert09]

1 hour ago, BrilliantFox said:

@whoareyaaa

Fatawu, Jordan James, Mavididi, Monga, Nelson. There are more who are good at this level too. This isn't the Premier League we're talking about.

 

I don't think fans realise that there is talent, but the nature of the club is so broken and dysfunctional that good players are not performing at their levels due to poor management and poor leadership that includes the entire board and ownership.

 

You cannot flourish under the circumstances at LCFC. Players cannot improve here, nor can they be maximised.

In football you want to extract the most out of your players, but that simply isn't possible in this environment.

 

A rotten culture breeds rotten performances.

Exactly. I find it mental when people act like top 6 is impossible, when it should be the bare minimum. 
 

The game against Ipswich just about proved it. They arguably have the best team in this division and because we actually decided to put some effort in, we absolutely wiped the floor with them. 
 

we absolutely have the potential to do that every week. But not under this manager and we all know that when he leaves our board get that next decision wrong. The biggest issue, is that under this board, each season we will get worse and worse. This is the best team we will have in the next 10 years without KP selling, how sobering of a thought is that? 

[Gamble92]

3 hours ago, whoareyaaa said:

We are bringing through youth and have lost 7 first team players other teams have been building we have been selling and the only player we have got is James while losing 7.

 

I don't know which players you are referring to that makes us a top side  ? 

What we have eclipses the squads of most the teams above is quite easily. 

 

Don't be fooled into thinking we should be performing anything like this. 

[LCFCCKEANO]

It is inept management, an example of this our midfield pairing. As was said by someone earlier, James, as great as he has been, often leaves Skipp massively exposed, we also do not have an out and out ‘10’. James skill set would be perfect in the KDH role with Enzo, with a deep sitter and another runner, and it would allow him to be deep enough where he can have an impact (in attacking mid he often gets lost) and provide cover for when he flies up the pitch, instead we just essentially leave Skipp to it and I honestly believe a large chunk of threat against us comes from this, and it makes our already iffy defense look even worse and wide open

[Raj]

[Sky Blues]

10 hours ago, Lambert09 said:

Exactly. I find it mental when people act like top 6 is impossible, when it should be the bare minimum. 
 

The game against Ipswich just about proved it. They arguably have the best team in this division and because we actually decided to put some effort in, we absolutely wiped the floor with them. 
 

And this is my point on why I'm not expecting an easy game. The players for my team give 100% every game. Van Ewijk had to play 2 games as soon as he could after getting the flu virus that went through our squad as we had run out of players. He was sick at the side of the pitch both games but stayed on as long as he could. In one of them games you could see him telling the bench 5 more minutes a few times. 

 

But then you come to Ipswich and yourselves. When the players want to play they can. You were the better side when we played at your place. It was our hardest game of the season until Ipswich did the double over us last month. We've only lost 3 games all season. We were W9 D2 L0 at home when we played Ipswich. You're straight after them. If your players are like last game it will be a good game. I can see them putting the effort in for this one. 

[LCFCJohn]

1 minute ago, Sky Blues said:

And this is my point on why I'm not expecting an easy game. The players for my team give 100% every game. Van Ewijk had to play 2 games as soon as he could after getting the flu virus that went through our squad as we had run out of players. He was sick at the side of the pitch both games but stayed on as long as he could. In one of them games you could see him telling the bench 5 more minutes a few times. 

 

But then you come to Ipswich and yourselves. When the players want to play they can. You were the better side when we played at your place. It was our hardest game of the season until Ipswich did the double over us last month. We've only lost 3 games all season. We were W9 D2 L0 at home when we played Ipswich. You're straight after them. If your players are like last game it will be a good game. I can see them putting the effort in for this one. 

The home performance against you was our best performance of the season though. You said before we couldn’t hit a barn door that day.

 

That is essentially the opposite of the rest of the season. Pretty much every other game we are dire and look like we’ve never seen a football before. We tend to carve out a couple of chances tops and players like James and Reid have been taking them. But at the other end, defensively our structure is so poor and the likes of Thomas being individually poor and targeted by every team we play means we will concede at least one (usually more) at the couple of chances we create at the other end often aren’t enough.

 

I think the clean sheet against Cheltenham at the weekend was our fist since that game against yourselves by the way.